Posted: 2/15/07
BaptistWay Bible Series for February25
Jesus still seeks followers
• John 21:15-23
By David Wilkinson
Broadway Baptist Church, Fort Worth
The Gospel that began with a prologue now ends with an epilogue. Scholars have suggested several plausible reasons for the addition of chapter 21, and there is probably more than one purpose at work.
The bottom line is that the fourth Gospel is made even richer and more complete with the accounts of the lakeside encounter between the risen Christ and seven of his disciples (vv. 1-14) and the intriguing dialogue between Jesus and Peter (vv. 15-19).
Do you love me?
Our focal passage (vv. 15-23) includes one final exchange between Jesus and Peter. No light is shed on whatever conversation may have transpired in private between Jesus and Peter after Peter had jumped from the boat and swam ashore ahead of the others who were toiling to drag ashore their sudden catch of fish. But after Jesus has served breakfast in a scene reminiscent of the Last Supper, he turns to Peter and asks: “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” (v. 15).
The ambiguous phrase “more than these” can be understood in several ways: Do you love me more than these disciples love me? Do you love me more than you love these disciples? Do you love me more than these things—the boat, the fish, this way of life, etc.?
When his denial was prophesied at the Last Supper, Peter was certain he knew better than Jesus what he would do and boasted he would follow Jesus even to death (13:37-38).
In light of Peter’s boasting, the first alternative seems most likely.
Jesus asks the question three times. Just as he had thrice denied Jesus, Peter is given the opportunity to affirm three times his love for Jesus. Further, Peter’s confession that only Jesus truly knows his heart now gives him the chance to follow.
A popular interpretation, following New Testament scholar Edward J. Goodspeed, points out that in the first two instances, Jesus uses the Greek verb agapaÿ for love but substitutes phileÿ in the third instance, while Peter uses the latter in each of his replies. Without following the exact form of the verb, the sense would be as follows: “Simon son of John do you agapaÿ love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord; you know that I phileÿ love you.” “Simon, son of John, do you agapaÿ love me?” “Yes, Lord; you know that I phileÿ love you.” “Simon, son of John, do you phileÿ love me?” “Lord, you know everything; you know that I phileÿ love you.”
Goodspeed and others stress the slight distinctions between the verbs. Agapaÿ, the same verb that appears in John 3:16, is used of divine love and often carries the connotation of will or purpose as well as affection. Phileÿ often suggests affinity, friendship or fondness. The New International Version brings out the possible nuance between the verbs by translating agapaÿ “truly love” and phileÿ “love.”
There certainly was less doubt about Peter’s attachment to Jesus than his will to love at all costs, and Jesus’ switch to phileÿ in the third question makes his probing of Peter even deeper, especially in light of Jesus’ reference to Peter’s martyrdom in verse 18.
This interpretation also helps explain Peter’s distress when questioned a third time, since Jesus would not only be challenging his love but would be implying it was superficial.
At the same time, it also is true both verbs express a high aspect of love and are used interchangeably in the fourth Gospel, even in the same context. Agapaÿ is used in 27 instances, referring to God’s love for humanity, one’s love for God, one’s love for another, and one’s love for things. Phileÿ is used less frequently (a dozen instances) but with the same connotations.
Whatever the distinctions in Jesus’ use of these synonyms, the larger point is found in the three-fold repetition that offers restoration to Peter.
Yet Peter’s restoration comes with a price. This is not a case of asking the question several times just to be sure Peter gets the answer right. Jesus doesn’t end with “Congratulations, Peter. You gave me the right answer.” Rather, the Good Shepherd who has laid down his life for his sheep (10:11-18) now passes the shepherd’s crook to this brash, impetuous, flawed-yet-faithful fisherman. While this task of tending the sheep may evoke tender pastoral images, there is nothing tender about the consequences. In his love for Peter, Jesus doesn’t pull any punches. For Peter, tending sheep will cost him his life.
Follow me
Jesus punctuates this three-fold question-and-answer session with the simple command to “Follow me” (21:19). Fred Craddock notes that “The command just stands there alone, without details, without suggestions, without further instructions.” Once again, the fourth Gospel’s emphasis on obedience is striking in its simplicity.
The Gospel ends where it began. Jesus’ invitation to his disciples-to-be to “Come and see” (1:39) had been followed by the command, “Follow me” (1:43). And so it is for us. We are invited to “come and see.” We are urged to believe. And we are commanded to follow Jesus, wherever that takes us.
Focus on me, not others
For Peter, nothing seems to come easily or simply. For Peter, faithful obedience would mean martyrdom, as it would for countless others since the first century. But martyrdom is not the only form of discipleship, as Peter discovered when he tried to deflect attention from himself to the Beloved Disciple (21:20-21). Jesus’ word to Peter was clear: The nature of your discipleship is not to be confused with that of any other. “The other disciples may be called upon to take another path, but that is not your concern. Christians are not to compare and contrast themselves with each other as though they were being graded on the curve. . . . Whoever takes the path of discipleship cannot know where it will lead. The disciples can only know that at the end of it is Christ,” Craddock wrote.
We are all tempted to compare ourselves to others. While we readily confess that following Jesus requires that we keep our eyes on Christ, at the same time we are aware of others in our peripheral vision, and we wonder about them. In response, Jesus lovingly but firmly reminds us, “What is that to you?”
Discussion questions
• In the exchange with Peter, Jesus offers not only forgiveness for Peter’s betrayal but healing and restoration. What is the significance of adding restoration to forgiveness?
• In what ways are we tempted to compare ourselves to other Christians in terms of our discipleship? How can we overcome this temptation?
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